Double top or diabolo.



0. H. SKEER.

DOUBLE TOP on DIABOLO.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

I av 0 c 4 aafi i YNVENTOR Y MAQLM 4 CHARLES HARPER SKEER, or WASHINGTON, nis'rnrc'r OF'GOLU'MBIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HARPER SKEER, citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double Tops or-Diabolos, and Ido hereby declare the followto bee full, clear, and exact description tures hereinafter described of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I I

My invention consists in the novel feareference being had to the accompanyin drawings which illustrate one form in w 'ch Ihave contemplated .embodyin my invention and a slight modification t ereof and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation partly in section of my improved device. 7 Flg. 2 is a detail perspective view of the independently rotatable central spool. Fig. 3' is a sectional view of a modification of the central spool. Fig. 4

is a partial sectional view of a modification of the device shown in Fig. 1. .Fig; 5 is a detail of a further modification.

' This invention consists in an improved double top or diabolo as it is sometimes called, WlllOh is spun by means of a cord connected to two handles, in a well known man- The object of my invention is first, to

provide such device with a central sectionor spool which is rotatable independentl of the end ortions in one direction and is connected t ereto by a pawl and ratchet construction, so that the central section can rotate backwardly or forwardlfy with the string while the end portions 0 the device will be rotated at all times'in one direction.

My invention also contemplates the provision of noise roducing mechanism operated by the di erential movement of the central or driving s 001 "and the end portions of the device w ereby musical or other sounds may be produced when the said drivin spool is reversely rotated. I

In are drawings I have illustrated two simple embodiments of my invention. In

Specification of Letters Patent.- Application nae June 17, 160s. Serial No. 489,076.

' or device which are conical portions being in nounnn TOP on? nmn'ono a the first form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A, A represent the end body portions of the top each given the shape of the frustum of a cone, and are arran ed with their smaller ends opposite each ot er and connected, in this instance by a shaft B, which extends through both of said conical ortions, and is secured thereto by pins as; at 6. The conical portions A, A areshown Batented Nov. 1c, 1908..

as solid and may be formed of wood or other preferred material. They may also be ormed hollow if desired. Between the end bodies A, A I insert an independently rotatable driving spool 0, having the shape of substantially a double cone frustum, the

line with the conical faces of the adjacent end bodies. In order to make neat oints I prefer to recess the end bodies as shown at attend to provide the driving spool with cylindrical end portions 0 c to enter said recesses, thus preventing the cord or string from running into the narrow parts. I

p The driving spool is connected to the end bodies by a ratchet and pawl connection which in this instance consists of a crown ratchet wheel 0 secured to one end of the spool O and engaged by a pawl d, carried on one end of a longitudinally movablerod D, which extends throu h a guiding aperture in the adjacent end bo y, near the center and is connected in any desiredway, with a diaphragm E supported in a recess a.. The diaphragm E, as shown, is composed of metal, and 18 supported on an annular shoulder a and held in place by an annular retainin rin a lued or otherwise secured to the end annular spaces between the b0 y, t 0 rod D being secured tothe dia- The teeth of the crown phra In by solder. whee are very low and the diaphragm is sufficiently elastic to serve as a spring .to hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and to permit it to pass freely over the teeth when the driving s 001 is rotated in one direction (backward) w ile when the spool is rotated in the forward direction the end bodies will of necessity rotate therewith. During the backward rotation of the-driving spool the teeth of the ratchet passing over 1: e pawl will cause the diaphragm to vibrate sleeve may engage composition of the diathe end bodies and hold the spool in proper relation therewith. This construction is, simple and facilitates the assembling of the arts but the same result may plished in other ways and I do not lirnit'myself to the exact constructions herein shown. In some cases I may provide the spool C with ball bearings c to engage the sleeve 0 as shown in Fig. 3, to reduce thev friction of the spool to a minimum, in which case the the end bodies and need not be capable of rotation on the shaft, or the sleeve may be dispensed with and the ball bearings may directly engage the shaft if iesired.

. instead of using a circumferentially confineddiaphragm as shown in Fig. 1, may employ a disk or. bell siiipported centrally by the shaft,- as shown in 1 4. In this figure E represents a bell or isk secured to the shaft B and having an annular flan e e rmging 60 7 the soun producing'devices,

I end body the driving spool Thus 1n Fig.

(which however may be omitted) the dis E being free at its periphery and givin a clear sound. In this instance t e pawl rod D is pivotally connected to a striker arm d arran ed in the'recess in the end body A d the other parts of the device bemg'i enti- In operation the device is spun manner, the end of the strin being ordinanl tional engagement of the cord or string with and forth movement of the cord is 'to drive movement of the driving spool causing the and emplo srmply the in which I employ an ordinary ratchet wheel and hel in inoperative position by a s ring cal with those previously described.

a v by a cordor string in the customary y connected to handles whic are moved so as to cause a fricfirst in, one direction and then in the other. Theefiect of. this back the end bodies always in one direction bymeans of the ratchet and pawl, the reverse sound producin apparatus to be operated as before ex laine may in some cases omit 'pawl and ratchet desire 51 have shown a modification c and a. ring pawl d on agin thesame, one end 0 who is secure to t e adjacent By providing, the device with the central driving s 001 connected to the end bodies by pawl an ratchet mechanism, it is muc easier to spm than a double top not having these features and a beginner can very readily learn to use the device.

whic wi vary with the d be accom- .of the end claim anddesire to. secune'by Letters Patent is:-.

1. A double top or diabolo, comprising amongits members, the end bodies, means for rigidly connecting said end bodies and holding them spaced apart, a central driving spool interposed between said end bodies,

end ant rotation with resaid end bodies and said and ca able of inde spect t ereto, one o central spool being single ratchet an the other with a spring actuated .p awl e aging the ratchet, whereby said central spoo an endbodies areheld against rotary movement with respect to each other in one direction, substantially as described. I

25A double top or diabolo, comprising among its members, the end bodies, a s indle rigidly connected with both of sai end bodies, a central driving spool, loosely mounted on said spindle between said end bodies, one of said end bodies and, said eerie provided the one with a v tral spool bein provided'the one a smgle ratchet, an the other with a s ring pawl engaging said ratchet, one of 'sai parts be-. ing provided with a recess to accommodate the pawl and ratchet mechanism to permit the adjacent edges of the cord e aging portions of said s 001 and endbo 'es to approach each 0t er closely and formractically continuous surfaces, substantial y as described.

3. A double top among its members the end bodies','a centra driving 'spool connected thereto by means permitting the indepe' dent rotation of said spool in one directionand a sound produc' mechanism "operatively connected with sai driving s 001 substantially as described. a ,4. A oub e top or diabolo, compris' among its members, the end bodies, a soun producing mechanism carried by one of said end bodies, a central driving spool movable.

inde endently of the end bpdies, awl and.

ratc et mechanism connecting sar dnvmg spool with the end-bodies, an 7 between saidspool and said sound producing mechanism for operating the same when the spool is rotated independently of the end bodies, substantially as described.

5. .A double top conical end bodies provided wit portions, a central tending into said recesses, and

recessed having its or diabolo comprising the a connection spool having portions 014- outer'surface provided with portions in hne with adjacent portions of the outer s bodies, and pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting said spool with, said end bodies, substantially as described.

6. A double top or die conical end bodies, a circular sound roducing device carried y one of-said end odies,

a ratchet wheel on aces 010, comprising the the central driving spool,

. or diabolo, comprising said spool, a pawl engaging said ratchet wheel and connections operated by said pawl for'Wibrating said sound 'producmg device, substantially as described.

7. A double top or diabolo comprising the conical end bodies, the central driving s 001,

a diaphragm carried by one of said end odie's, a ratchet wheel connected with said spool, a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel and a connection from said pawl to said dia- 10 phragm adjacent to the center thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HARPER SKEER. Witnesses: I

L. P. WHITAKER,

L. C. HARBISON. 

